Test Bed
Test bed engine.
Well sort of a test bed, It ran at about the same numbers that I thought the Olds engine would that I was going to put in the Tailwind. My test bed, 91 F250 351, 5.8 ci engine, equipped with tac, MAP and water psi. At 60 mph the map reads 25 inch, plus or minus an inch or two. 70 it reads 27.5 inches. on level road in both cases, no wind. Add a typical road and head winds and it is all but working flat out. At 70, it's turning about 2500 rpm... At that rpm it is nearly flat out, WOT. It has done this for 190673 miles. All the hose clamps, hoses, fuel lines are all still original. I did recently have to change ALT. and the belt. Bearing seized up and fried the belt. A lot of this time I was pulling a trailer with my Tailwind parts, going back and forth between my house and my Dads... Most of that was at 3000 3200 rpm, out of overdrive, and flat on the floor. Steve Wittmans V8 Olds powered Tailwind flew for years, Since sometime in the early 60s. Got to find out how many hours it has. To me this engine was working just as hard as it would in an aircraft and had been for a long time.
Enhanced Aircraft Systems (EAS) has introduced the O-408 and IO-408 engines, which incorporate the use of technology from Formula One auto racing to develop advanced components, such as crankshafts, connecting rods, pistons, and piston pins. These parts can be retrofitted to any existing Lycoming, ECi, or Superior Air Parts 360 CI engine, or can be incorporated into a new engine, company officials said.
The main goal of the design was to move weight from the reciprocal parts (connecting rods, pistons and piston pins) to the rotating part (crankshaft), reducing stresses and vibrations, according to company officials, noting that the 408 engine, while producing 230 hp, generates lower vibrations than an O-320 at a similar power setting.
San Antonio-based Enhanced Aircraft Systems specializes in improvement products for legacy aircraft, including many STCs and PMAs.
For more information: EnhancedAircraft.com